Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk under a stainless steel tube that carries a train right above your head? Well, here at the McCormick Tribune Campus Center, that’s exactly what you can experience. The McCormick Tribune Campus Center, also known as MTCC, is a vibrant hub of student life at the Illinois Institute of Technology, standing on the south side of Chicago. The MTCC opened in 2003 and is considered one of the boldest designs built by the famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.
You might think that this isn’t a very common thing to see in a building, but for the IIT, this was necessary to protect the building from the loud noise of the Green Line train that runs overhead. The tube is over 500 feet long and is completely isolated from the building with a special structure to minimize vibrations. It was definitely a challenging project, but the result speaks for itself.
It’s not just the unique tube that makes MTCC stand out. Koolhaas’ design took inspiration from the campus’s rich architectural history, especially the designs by the iconic Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. There are diagonal pathways throughout the building that were inspired by the movement patterns of students across the campus. These pathways lead to various parts of the building including the student bookstore, post office, and a renovated 1953 building, designed by Mies van der Rohe! The MTCC serves as the heart of the campus community, a place for students to mingle, study, and even grab a cup of coffee.
For the students of IIT, the MTCC is not always considered a favorite space. The design has some functional flaws, like the high noise levels throughout the building. However, there is no doubt that the MTCC is a unique and intriguing structure. It’s a reminder of a time when a building became more than just a structure, but a bold statement about its role in the urban landscape.